


(new) Family

by boleynhowards



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Established Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, fluff with a tad of anxiety on the side, mentioned danvers family, mentioned luthor family, protect lena xx
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26332252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boleynhowards/pseuds/boleynhowards
Summary: After months of avoiding it, the dreaded day comes where Lena has to meet Kara’s adoptive mother, Eliza. However, when the time finally comes, her dreadful expectations are far from what actually happens.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 5
Kudos: 284





	(new) Family

Resting her head against the car window, Lena simply watched out of it as the countryside rolled by before her eyes. It was only a blur of different shades of green and brown, but, combined with the low sound of the car radio, it surprisingly did a lot to calm her nerves. Sitting beside her in the driver’s seat, was her girlfriend, Kara Danvers. She too was a comforting sight, even though she had most of her attention on the road.

They were halfway through with the drive to Midvale, Kara’s hometown and where she grew up. After dating for almost seven months (and flirting for much longer), the time had finally come for Lena to accompany Kara on one of her trips back home, and, subsequently, meet her adoptive mother; Eliza.

If she was being totally honest with herself, Lena had been trying to avoid this day since she first started dating Kara. Even though she had heard great things about the woman, none of it could change the nervousness she felt at the prospect of meeting her. It was daunting enough to meet the parents of your girlfriend, but to meet the parents of your girlfriend after your power hungry brother made himself public enemy number one because he plotted the demise of your girlfriend’s cousin, amongst other vicious acts? That was another level of dread entirely.

However, even if she didn’t want to, Lena knew that she had to meet Eliza eventually. For the past almost seven months, she had been improvising ways to get her out of this situation, but she knew that soon she wouldn’t have any more excuses to use. There was no good in trying to postpone the inevitable, so, when Kara next brought up taking a trip to Midvale and extended an invitation to Lena, she reluctantly agreed.

One thing she hadn’t been anticipating to be so dreadful was the actual journey itself though. Of course, she had her phone and she had Kara, but they were ultimately stuck on the road for hours. It didn’t take long for Lena to exhaust thoughts of her business and experiments, wondering how they were going along without her guidance, before she had nothing to think about. That meant that she had more time than she liked to overthink what was going to happen when the car finally pulled up at the Danvers household.

Regardless of what was to come though, Lena reminded herself of one thing; she was a Luthor. Her kind did not show fear, and especially not at the prospect as pathetic as meeting some lonely woman who had no husband and grown kids. Okay, maybe that was a bit of a rude description, but Lena’s point was that, considering who she was and what she had seen, there were really much worse things than sitting in a car on her way to meet Kara’s adoptive mother.

When they passed a road sign that welcomed them into what must have been the fifth small town they had gone through in that hour, Lena startled a little when Kara cheered with rejoice.

“Woo!” She took one hand off the wheel and punched the air triumphantly. “We’re halfway now.”

“Only just?” Lena asked, sitting up again and straightening her posture. Whilst her words sounded impatient, her tone was more innocent surprise than anything else.

“Well, the second half of the drive always feels shorter for some reason.” Kara tried to compensate. “Besides, the closer we are, the more exciting it gets. I’m glad you’re finally going to meet Eliza.”

Lena smiled. On one hand, the reminder from Kara just stirred her nerves even more. On the other, she was just happy to see how true Kara’s words were; the joy seemed to radiate off of her.

“Let’s just hope your driving doesn’t kill us before we get there.” Lena teased with a small smile, which in turn became a wide grin at the look of mock offence that spread over Kara’s face. Still, she wasn’t going to back down.

“Oh, sorry there’s not an airstrip to land your private jet in Midvale, Lena!” Kara combated with sarcasm. “You’ll have to put up with my driving for a few more hours.”

Shaking her head, Lena jokingly explained that it wasn’t the driving that was the problem; it was the fact that they had almost crashed at least a dozen times already. Beginning to playfully bicker between themselves, the nerves Lena was dwelling on seemed to dissolve for a few hours. Their mini argument reached a ceasefire within a few minutes, and then the conversation turned elsewhere.

Kara was right when she said the second half of the journey feels shorter than the first half. Maybe it was the fact that they were speaking the whole way through it, or perhaps it was because the radio just seemed to be playing better songs, but, before they knew it, the car was pulling up at the front of their destination.

Stepping out of the car as the engine stopped, Lena looked up at the place and noticed a few things immediately. First was the greenery. Perhaps she was just too used to living in the industrialised city, but it looked like the house was swallowed by flowery bushes and foliage. Not that it was a bad sight, though - everything was clearly well kept.

In general, there was also a friendly feeling to the place. Undoubtedly, the breezy weather and sun hanging high in the air had everything to do with that, but the surrounding thickets of trees and verdure definitely contributed as well. Birds chirped and swooped around in the luscious blue sky above, and Lena was quick to pick up on the sound of not only them but the waves of the ocean nearby and the low humming of bees around the flowers. It was like someone had taken a picture perfect scene straight from a movie and placed them both in it.

If it was any other circumstance, she would have rejoiced in the beauty of nature. It was always calming to her, after all. There wasn’t any time to do that though because, after Kara went to the trunk to collect their bags, it was time to walk up to the door. Months of avoiding, days of dread and hours of nervously sitting in a car had led up to this moment. Swallowing, Lena didn’t realise how dry her throat was from all the worrying, but she didn’t have time to linger on that before they reached the front door and Kara was knocking on it.

There must have been twenty seconds before the door opened, which was a little long by most standards, but Lena wished it was longer. Revealed in the open doorway was Eliza Danvers, the woman she had been so nervous about meeting. Despite all the stories of warmth and kindness Lena had heard about the woman, she was expecting some sort of reluctance or disliking to hang in the air when she finally met her, for obvious reasons.

This, however, was not the case. Eliza had a welcoming smile on her face, immediately stepping out of her house and wrapping her arms around Kara in a reuniting hug as they exchanged a few words of greeting. Lena watched this exchange, not sure whether she should say anything or wait for it to end.

Before she could make her decision, Eliza pulled away from Kara and turned to Lena. Immediately, Lena waited for her expression to drop or her attitude to turn icier, but no such thing came. Just as she had done for Kara, Eliza took a step towards her and extended a hand to shake. They weren’t close enough for hugging and tight embraces yet, but that didn’t falter her actions.

“And Lena!” Eliza smiled as Lena took her hand, shaking it firmly before dropping it. She noted that it felt a little rigid and unsure, but didn’t point it out, much to Lena’s relief. “It’s lovely to finally meet you.”

“You too,” Lena began but then paused, wondering what she was meant to address Eliza by. She quickly decided on the most polite option, just to be safe. “Mrs Danvers.”

“Oh, no. You can just call me Eliza,” she reassured quickly. Lena nodded and Kara watched the interaction fondly. Before anything else could be said, Eliza stepped back into her home and opened the door wider, beckoning them inside.

Walking into the house and taking her shoes off at the door, Lena once again took notice of a few things. Whilst the place certainly wasn’t a grimy tip, it wasn’t the most pristine either. From just the entrance hallway alone, she took in how it felt slightly cramped but in the best way possible. An assortment of shoes, now including her own, were lined up and ready at the front door. A coat rack nearby was also full. In the corner was a tall house plant, which was really just a spiral of disheveled leaves halfway up the wall.

Just like outside, there was a friendly feeling to the hallway, too. The whole place was comfortably messy, continuing to add to the welcoming vibe of the terrain and Eliza’s attitude. Although involuntarily, Lena couldn’t help but make quick comparisons of it to the Luthor Mansion. This place was endearing and packed and warm, whilst the mansion she grew up in was foreboding and largely empty and cold. There was a stark difference, yet Lena revelled in the contrast.

Before long, and after a little bit of shuffling around to avoid knocking over the coat rack, the three women walked through the hallway and into a door that led to the living room. All the while they continued to talk, though it was mainly the Danvers women who were upholding the conversation. This time, as she entered, Lena didn’t have a few moments spare to look around and really examine the room as she had in the hallway before, instead sitting down on one of the sofas. Eliza sat on the sofa opposite, and Kara sat on the empty seat beside her. As soon as she felt the weight and warmth of Kara’s arm snaking around her shoulders, Lena shuffled closer, immediately more comfortable with the situation.

From there, they talked about pretty much every mundane thing. Eliza asked rather mundane but open questions for the both of them, like how the journey was and what’s been going on in National City. Despite the easiness of the questions, Kara was still contributing more. Even so, Lena wasn’t silent with hesitation as she was just minutes before; she threw in her cent when it applied. Gradually, as the conversation went on, Lena felt more welcome in the home, but she still couldn’t shake the creeping feeling at the back of her mind that she was overstepping a boundary simply by being there.

The conversation took a bit of a turn when Eliza started asking them about their relationship. Really, Lena was already expecting this. After all, she was meeting the adoptive mother of her girlfriend, curiosity about the details of it all was only natural. Even so, she still didn’t know how exactly she was supposed to answer - she was never one good at opening up, and especially not about intimate matters like these. Hell, opening herself up to Kara was difficult enough, let alone this woman who, although her intentions were pure, she had just met. Luckily for Lena, Kara knew her well enough to take the reins when they started going into that territory; answering all of the questions to a satisfactory extent and then steering away from the topic entirely.

Eventually, Eliza rose to her feet. “Just a second, I need to check on dinner,” she announced.

“You’re cooking already?” Kara perked up at the mention of food and Lena smirked to herself about the predictability.

“Yes, it’s a slow cook meal and you arrived in the late afternoon. It’s almost time to eat.”

“How did I not notice?” Kara wondered out loud. “Oh, well, let me see if I can help.”

Then Kara stood up from the sofa and, along with Eliza, walked through the door to the kitchen. It was left open as an invitation for Lena to follow them there, but she remained seated for a while, simply watching as the other two looked over a pot sitting on the stove. She tilted her head a little as she silently observed, easily able to see the familial bond the two shared, so much so that it was evident in something as trivial as cooking. There was never any of that in the Luthor household.

Shaking that thought from mind, she reviewed everything that had happened from the moment the door had opened until now. Thankfully, it all seemed to be going well. By now, Lena was starting to realise that maybe Eliza was not going to scold her for her name and kick her out of the house with scorn, but there was still the sinking feeling that maybe she was being a little too hopeful; she hadn’t been with Eliza alone yet.

That was just something she would have to find out when the time came. For now, Lena was in the living room by herself, and there was something she had noticed whilst sitting with the other two women that she wanted to look at more closely. Finally rising from her seat, Lena didn’t go and join Kara and Eliza in the kitchen but instead walked to the other side of the lounge and stood before the fireplace. More specifically, she was looking at the mantel.

Sitting on top of it were a few mundane objects like decorative candles and ornaments, but they weren’t what had caught Lena’s attention. No, she was more intrigued by the assortment of framed photographs that were placed amongst them. They had been densely placed there, as if Eliza had been trying to fit as many as she could whilst still being able to clearly see the photo. This worked well enough, only Lena was afraid to move and pick one up for closer inspection else she might knock them all over in a domino effect.

Oh well. She could make out the images well enough from here and they were just what she expected they would be. Printed out and tucked into each frame were different photos of both of the Danvers sisters. Each image was from a different stage in life, ranging from pictures of an infant Alex and a newly-turned-teenager Kara, who had probably not long crashed onto earth.

A smile spread across her red lips as she looked over each of the pictures, focusing specifically on the ones that Kara was in. There were none before the age of thirteen which was a little disappointing, but that was for obvious reasons. Still, there were plenty from that age and up, and Lena rejoiced in all of the different images before her.

Kara beaming at the camera, her smile somehow contagious even in photo format. Kara looking away from the camera, her bright blue eyes captivated by something that was out of the frame. Kara with an expression of happiness as she wrapped her arms around Alex, who was trying to keep a poker face, but the camera managed to capture her joy too. Kara with confusion written in her expression as she examined a four-coloured Bic pen like it was a foreign object, the photo undoubtedly being taken not long after she arrived on earth.

Sitting in front of her was a small collection of memories, each photo being a tiny wedge into what the life of Kara Danvers was like. Looking at each of the photos and imagining the circumstances and stories surrounding it made Lena’s heart warm, though it always did when Kara was involved. Regardless, there was just something comforting in the evidence before her that Kara had had a loving family whom she shared a strong bond with to take her in, especially after considering all that had happened before she arrived at their doorstep. If anyone deserved the happiness that was locked inside these images, Lena was one hundred percent certain that the universe had chosen the right person; Kara.

Lena didn’t know how long she was standing there and looking at the photos for, but before she could step back and join the other two women in the kitchen, she was startled slightly when instead someone stood next to her. Looking around, she took in that it was Eliza who had joined her. Over her shoulder, Lena could also see that Kara was busy with whatever kitchen task she had been assigned.

“You spotted the photos.” Eliza smiled at her, pointing out the obvious.

“Yes.” Lena nodded. Although she never actually said the word, her tone sounded apologetic. “I noticed them earlier, and wanted to get a better look.”

“It’s okay, you can look for as long as you like.” Eliza reassured, picking up on the contrite. “This house is a home for you too now.”

Of all the things, Lena hadn’t been expecting that. Minutes prior, she had literally been worrying that, given the chance to speak alone, Eliza would cuss her out and condemn her relationship with Kara. Instead, here she was, maintaining the same kindness she had been displaying the whole time.

On Lena’s aback expression, Eliza decided to elaborate.

“Everyday, I read articles like ‘Supergirl detains criminal mastermind’ or ‘Supergirl takes down undefeated alien’, and I panic and worry a little because she does so much out there, but I know that she can hold her own. And then, when I call her on the phone, I expect her to gush about what it’s like on the frontlines as National City’s resident superhero, but do you know what she talks about?”

“What?”

“You. It’s never ‘today I fought ten people at once and still won’ or ‘I helped arrest a rogue alien’, but rather more like… ‘Lena took me out for lunch yesterday’ or ‘Lena said…’ and sometimes she even hangs up the call early because ‘Lena’s coming over!’ and she needs to get ready.”

Lena blinked in surprise. Her heart warmed even more.

“It just makes me realise how happy you make her, Lena. Out of all the things that go on in her life, the first thing she wants to talk about is you. Then, the more I think about it, the more I realise that I don’t need to panic and worry about her whenever I read those articles because, if there ever came the time that she can’t hold her own, I know she has you. I’ve read about your work and your projects and, if there was anyone I would want to have her back, it would be you over and over again. The fact you make her this happy is just a great bonus.

“I know that you are not your brother. Or your mother, for that matter. Anyone would be a fool to think so just because you share the same name, especially after a quick Google search can clear your name. Then again, I do suppose they don’t have what I do; seeing their daughter so head over heels and happy and it’s all because of you. That’s what I care about the most. I want what’s best for her and, from everything she has told me about you, you are exactly that. So, as long as you are good to her, which I’m sure you always will be, you will always be welcome here.”

Lena was still speechless after Eliza stopped speaking. Internally, she was freaking out because she had just learnt of all these kind things Kara had been saying about her and it made her heart race with affection, drumming against her chest. Moreover, her anxious predictions that Eliza secretly despised her and would admit that to her in private had crumbled to nothing with the reassurance she had just received.

Knowing that she had to speak soon, Lena was quick to launch into spews of gratitude, along with sincere promises that yes, she always had Lena’s back and would continue to try and be that source of happiness for her. Eliza brushed the thank yous off, insisting it really was nothing. Before they could talk more, be it about what they had just discussed or changing the subject, a distressed yell was heard from the kitchen.

“Eliza! I think it’s burning!”

“You think Supergirl would be able to look after a crockpot for five minutes, but no,” Eliza sarcastically commented to Lena and elicited a chuckle. Then she jogged back into the kitchen, hurriedly taking Kara’s place and salvaging the food. This time, Lena followed her there.

Not long after that, the three sat around at the table, cutlery in hand as they continued to talk about what they had been discussing in the living room prior. Following the short conversation with Eliza, Lena began to contribute even more than she had been. No longer was she bouncing off of Kara’s answers or adding only where necessary, instead also becoming a main voice in the conversation too.

When they had eaten and everything was washed up, they gravitated back towards the living room. There, they once again continued talking. Jokes were made, laughs were cracked and discussion flowed freely. Lena finally sunk into total comfortability, the dread and uncertainty she had been feeling for days leading up to this feeling pathetic now, but that didn’t matter; she was enjoying herself.

As the low evening sun disappeared behind the trees and was soon after replaced by the coin moon in the charcoal sky, it became clear that it was time to start packing up and heading upstairs. Admittedly, Lena was sadder than she would have liked to admit that the day was coming to an end. Against all odds, she found herself really enjoying the day.

That sadness didn’t last long, though. How could it when, within minutes, she was changed into her pyjamas and tucked up in bed beside Kara? Especially with Kara’s arms wrapped protectively around her, an extra layer of warmth in addition to the blanket draped over the both of them. Lena’s head rested on Kara’s shoulder, the contentedness of her position tempting her to sleep, but she wasn’t ready to quite yet.

“So, this is your childhood bedroom,” Lena said. She had looked briefly around it when she first came in, but hadn’t lurked at anything, not wanting to invade Kara’s privacy. Whilst the room was now shrouded in mostly darkness, spare from the silver bars of moonlight that peeked in from the blind, she had noticed before that it was rather plain looking. Both Danvers sisters must have cleared it out and hidden away anything they didn’t take with them when they relocated to National City.

“Mhm,” Kara hummed, “Thankfully it’s not how it was when I was in the middle of some… questionable phases.”

Both of them laughed, and they seemed to duet in a sweet, delighted symphony. Or maybe they were just in love, and really liked the sound of each other’s laughter. Either way, Lena began to think back to her own phases as she grew up, internally cringing at some of the memories. Luckily (well, not really), she was never allowed to fully express herself as long as she lived under her parents’ roof, so there was no proof she ever had those phases.

Train of thought now on the Luthors, Lena began speaking again. “I was looking at the pictures of you on the mantelpiece today,” she told Kara.

“Oh, Rao, I bet they were awful.” Kara cringed at the thought. She herself had been avoiding looking at those pictures for years now, but she should have expected Lena to notice them pretty quickly.

“No, they were cute. I’m glad you had like this, especially considering the whole…”

“Crashing onto planet earth thing?”

“That.”

Kara chuckled. “Well, it definitely wasn’t easy, but you’re right. I’m lucky that I was with Eliza and Jeremiah. And Alex.”

As Kara reminisced about her adoptive family, Lena nodded. Although she was grateful that Kara had been taken in by such loving people, she couldn’t help but feel a little sad that she didn’t get the same. Kara seemed to notice this in her tiny nod and frowned.

“You know, this place and those people are just as much yours as they are mine. You’re family now.”

Lena contemplated what Kara said, as if she was willing to deny it. However, she reminded herself of what Eliza had told her earlier that same day and decided to believe it.

“Yeah, okay.” She wasn’t done speaking though. “I just wish I could invite you to my childhood home and celebrate what we have with my family, but…”

There was no need for Lena to carry on talking about things that upset her for Kara to understand what she meant. With a small, empathetic breath, Kara gently ran her fingers through Lena’s hair. It was an action so simple, yet it always seemed to relax the woman in her arms. As she reached the back of Lena’s head and her fingertips fell onto the beginnings of her tight ponytail, Kara frowned.

“Why is this still up?” Without waiting for a reply, she gently removed the tie.

“Thanks.” Lena sighed with content, burrowing her head further into Kara’s shoulder as her now freed raven hair fell comfortably down around her. Kara simply hummed in acknowledgement, beginning to play with the ends.

“I’m sorry about your family, by the way. They don’t deserve you.”

“Don’t be sorry, darling. It’s not your fault.” A pause. “Besides, there’s always my mom. You know, my birth mom.”

Immediately, though she wasn’t ignoring her before, Kara began to listen to Lena even closer. It wasn’t often that she talked about her birth mother and, when she did, it was usually through the panicked breaths of anxiety attacks and spoken with heavy guilt.

“Even if my adoptive family don’t, I know my mom would have loved you. Granted, I only knew her for five years, but I know she was a good woman. She would have loved you for everything you stand and fight for, she would have loved you for what you write about and she would have loved you for your pure heartedness.”

Lena paused and thought about what Eliza had said earlier once again.

“Most importantly, though, she would have loved you for loving me.”

“And I’ll love you forevermore.” Kara pressed a kiss to the top of Lena’s head, gently cradled her as if she was world class treasure of the utmost importance. Well, to Kara, she was.

For a short while, they both simply laid there in silence. Neither of them were willing to go to sleep yet, not whilst they were lavishing in the moment. Times like these, where there was nothing other than each other, were the times that both Kara and Lena appreciated the most.

Eventually, however, Lena became no match for fighting against sleep. With the comfortable and consistent sound of Kara’s heartbeat combined with the warmth of her arms and the safety of her hold, she didn’t have much of a chance to begin with. Her eyelids lulled closed and she was out like a light.

Upon noticing the sound of regular breathing and feeling the rise and fall of Lena’s chest that went in time with it, Kara looked down and realised that she was fast asleep. A tiny smile spread across her face at the sight; her Lena looking not only peaceful in rest, but adorable too.

“Goodnight, love,” Kara whispered so as not to wake her up. Then, without moving her arms out of their protective hold around Lena, Kara also closed her eyes. It did not take long after that for she too to fall asleep, dreaming sweet images of the woman she held.


End file.
